In present heavy-duty abrasive-blasting and cleaning operations, the normal abrasive materials of choice are usually sand, silica, aluminum oxide (Al.sub.2 O.sub.3), steel slag, steel shot, and the like. The use of such heavy-duty abrasives is generally too abrasive for a given surface layer of steel, cement, etc., so that the cleaned surface layer shows excessive irregularities of chips and cracks and a choppy non-uniformity of surface smoothness. This type of cleaned surface typically depicts a degree of coarseness and roughness that is normally associated with abrasive blasting of surfaces when using the heavy-duty abrasives previously mentioned. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide an improved abrasive material that would clean a given surface layer of material without having any deleterious effect to that surface layer. It would also be desirable to provide a cleaned surface that is uniformly smooth and free of pitting or blasting marks from the abrasive material used.